


Family

by lady_krysis (saekhwa)



Category: The Losers (2010)
Genre: Canon Character of Color, Character of Color, Community: three weeks for dw, F/M, Female Character of Color, Female Friendship, Male Protagonist, POV Character of Color, POV Male Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-05-17
Updated: 2010-05-17
Packaged: 2017-10-10 01:29:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,718
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/93733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saekhwa/pseuds/lady_krysis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was only a matter of time before Max pushed back.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Family

**Author's Note:**

> _So_ until canon informs me otherwise, the name of Jolene's and Pooch's baby is Jamaar. Thanks times a billion plus some hearts to [](http://lunesque.dreamwidth.org/profile)[**lunesque**](http://lunesque.dreamwidth.org/) for her willingness to beta whatever I happen to beg for and for knowing me so damn well. Minor spoilers for the movie.

It's only a matter of time—

Two months after L.A., Roque comes back to the team. Worse, Clay takes him back, and it leaves the team so confused about whether he's going to pull some sort of quadruple doublecross that they barely notice that Aisha somehow _joined_ the team, even though, as far as everyone knew, she was still planning on doing the vengeance thing and executing Clay the moment they took Max down. None of that stops the barbecues or the soccer games or the team coming over to play with Jamaar, and it sure as hell doesn't stop them from thwarting Max's megalomaniacal plans.

They should've expected that Max would push back.

~*~

When Pooch isn't caught by fear, he'll consider himself lucky that Jamaar was at Jensen's sister's house at the time because Jolene was worried the pest control chemicals would damage their son's budding brilliance. When Pooch stops thinking, _They nearly killed my wife_, he'll be grateful that his son was somewhere else and his wife happened to be outside when the house blew.

None of this will hit Pooch until he's walking into the hospital room and sees Aisha showing Jolene the magazine of a Sig Sauer—and how in the hell did she get that past security? Doesn't she know there are cameras in the room? And Jesus, that's when it hits. Max went after Jolene, went after his _wife_, and Pooch nearly breaks down right there in the door.

Somehow, Aisha is gone, and Jolene is out of bed, her palms cold and clammy against his cheeks, saying, "Pooch. Baby. _Lin_." Hearing part of his name jars him out of his stupor enough to gather Jolene into his arms and bury his face in her hair. "It's okay," she whispers. "_I'm_ okay."

So it was only a matter of time before Pooch got religion like Cougar and thanked God that his wife and baby were okay.

~*~

The team corners Max in Somalia, and he looks irritated instead of afraid like he should be. He holds up a gloved hand when Pooch aims the rifle. "Look. It was my polite way of saying 'back off.' I think it should be noted, Sgt. Porteous, that I didn't _kill_ anyone."

It has to be some cruel, cosmic joke when a grenade gets chucked in Pooch's direction and Max gets away _again_.

~*~

It's only a matter of time before Pooch gets in Roque's face. "You givin' him intel, Roque? Did you give him all our jackets?"

"Get out of my face, Pooch, before I break it."

And Clay conveniently inserts himself between them when back in the day, he would've let them go to blows.

Jensen drops a hand on Pooch's shoulder and squeezes, sidling up to Pooch's side. "Hey, Pooch, man, let's take a nice long—super long—walk. I'll even let you hold my hand."

Which is so absurd—pure Jensen—that it should elicit a laugh. Pooch is all out, though.

He shrugs off Jensen's hand, turns, gets in his truck, and drives home.

~*~

Jolene is playing with Jamaar on the living room floor when Pooch makes it home. A month out of the hospital, and her skin still looks too pale, her features wan, and all Pooch wants to do is pack her and Jamaar into the truck and hole up somewhere safe.

"Hey, baby," Jolene says. Her smile is still the most beautiful thing in Pooch's world. She holds up the stuffed penguin—dressed and ready for the beach courtesy of Jensen—and wiggles it. "Come play with us?"

Pooch feels like he's stumbling forward, can't get there fast enough, and he drops to his knees, patting Jamaar's head and leaning in to kiss Jolene, to hold her, to thank God—again—that she's alive.

She tilts her face up for another kiss as she continues to make the penguin dance in front of Jamaar. "Does this mean you're going to do the dishes tonight?"

And the laugh that should've come earlier comes now, muffled in the cradle of Jolene's shoulder. Jamaar chucks a block at them, hitting Pooch's shoulder and then starts banging the other block against Pooch's knee with a high-pitched squeal of excitement.

Jolene kisses Pooch's temple and grabs Jamaar's hand. "Uh-uh, sweetie. It's not nice to hit daddy." She scoops Jamaar up and blows a raspberry against his belly, making him shriek again.

"Let's go somewhere," Pooch says, stroking back Jolene's hair.

Jolene lowers Jamaar so she can look at Pooch. "Where?"

"Maybe Antigua."

The corner of Jolene's mouth curls up like she's waiting for the joke. "Antigua?"

"Anywhere." Pooch wiggles Jamaar's foot and wonders if this is what desperation feels like, if this is the fear his granddaddy talked about when a man has a responsibility to more than himself. "I don't care."

"Baby." Jolene cups his cheek, eyes soft and concerned. "Why don't you take a hot shower and get some rest?"

"Wait, listen," Pooch says, covering her hand.

"No, Pooch. We're not running. Not from anyone, remember?"

"I'm not."

"Aren't you?"

"I'm not."

Jolene leans in until their foreheads touch. "Get some rest, baby. We'll talk after. Please?"

It's the 'please' that makes him nod. That, and the weariness and worry in Jolene's voice.

"Just"—Pooch begins to slowly pull away but darts in quick to kiss her cheek—"think about it, okay?"

Jolene nods, and Pooch takes Jamaar from her, planting kiss after kiss across those baby cheeks.

"Love you," he tells them both.

~*~

When Pooch wakes up and trudges downstairs, he doesn't expect to see Aisha guiding Jolene's left leg into a kick. He expected Jensen; that's who Clay usually sends. Pooch opens the patio door, and Jolene bounces over to him.

"Morning, baby," she says and kisses him on the lips. "After that workout, I am dying of thirst. You want anything to drink, Aisha?"

"Some water will be fine, thanks."

When Jolene slips past him, back into the house, Pooch eyes Aisha and asks, "What are you doing here?"

She gives him a sidelong look as she drops into the patio chair and then flashes that fierce smile that he's come to associate with 'take no prisoners is easy when you've got an RPG.' "Having some girl time with Jolene."

"Did Clay send you?"

"Clay doesn't send me anywhere."

"_Hey_, Jo-Jo," Pooch hears Jensen say from inside the house, the greeting followed by a dramatic sound of a puckered kiss. "I brought some brewskies and some dogs for the grill. Where's Pooch?"

Pooch glares at Aisha since she's convenient. She slides a blade as big as her hand from somewhere behind her and then uses the point to clean underneath her nails.

"_Hey_, buddy," Jensen says, clapping Pooch on the shoulder. Then he does a double take when he sees Aisha. "Guess this makes it a party. Want a beer?" He holds up the six-pack in his hand.

Aisha declines with a shake of her head, and Jensen just shrugs.

Eventually, the rest of the team—and Roque—show up with buns, more beer, burgers, even more beer, and a fruit salad.

No one talks about what almost happened or what didn't happen. Everyone chats and drinks while they eat and plays with Jamaar and plays some cards, and then just as slyly as they arrived, they slip out, one by one, except for Jensen, who's sprawled out on the couch, Jamaar fast asleep on his chest.

Pooch moves toward them, but Jolene stops him with a hand on his forearm. "Leave 'em," she whispers, smiling fondly at Jensen when he snuffles, rubs his nose, and then gently pats Jamaar's back before going still again. "Help me clean up?"

Pooch loads the dishwasher while Jolene packs the leftovers into Tupperware containers and takes the trash out. Pooch is finishing the last of the dishes when she returns, sliding behind him and circling her arms around his waist.

"I can't believe them," he says.

Jolene fans her fingers over Pooch's chest. "What do you mean?"

"The way they just—" Pooch waves a soapy hand to encompass the whole of the evening.

Jolene's arms slide away. "I called them."

Pooch looks at her over his shoulder and watches as she leans against the counter.

"I called them over. They're part of this family, and you wanted to leave that."

"No, Jolene, that's not—" He goes silent when she lifts her eyes to his face.

"We don't abandon family. Ever. And that team, baby—they're your family and mine, too." Jolene moves forward and wraps her arms around him again. "They made sure you came back to me. They make sure you come back to me every time." Jolene shudders, and Pooch folds her in his arms, holding her tightly.

"Shh. It's okay," Pooch murmurs, petting back her hair.

"I know." Jolene exhales and buries her face against Pooch's chest. He feels her fingers tighten in his shirt, and then she pulls back and looks up at him with a soft smile. "As long as we have each other, right?"

"Damn right."

"I love you," Jolene softly says and then kisses Pooch's chin. "Now it's your turn to think about what I said." She kisses the corner of his mouth this time. "I'm putting Jamaar and Jensen to bed."

Pooch bends down for one more kiss. "I'll finish up in here."

After Jolene leaves, Pooch waits several seconds and then follows, leaning in the entranceway to the living room. He watches Jolene cradle a sleeping Jamaar and smile at a bewildered Jensen.

"Time for bed, boys."

Jolene helps Jensen off the couch, gets him moving toward the bathroom before she veers off into Jamaar's room. Pooch scrubs a hand over his face and then returns to the kitchen to finish cleaning up.

Everything still feels so tenuous, so damn uncertain. Max went after his _family_. Pooch takes a deep breath when he's finished wiping down the counters. Guess the truth is, Max hasn't _stopped_ going after his family.

Jensen's voice breaks through Pooch's thoughts. "What do you mean, Jo? I am _rockin'_ the koala PJs."

Pooch shakes his head and prays—seriously—that he misheard that last part. He's smiling, though, as he turns off the lights and then heads to bed.


End file.
